Front akle for vehicles.



e. w HARPER. FRONT AXLE FOR VEHICLES. APPLiCATION FILED MAR. 4. I915.

Patented Dec. 24,1918.

23 5; $1 3 Specification off-Letters Patent.

- 1 v J. fetch. we

ipylieation filexl March 1915. Serial l lo. 13am.

To oZZ whom it may concem:

Be it known that l, GEORGE WQHARPER, citizen of the United. States, residing at t/lcY-clend, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of *Shio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Front Axles for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exect'rlcscription.

This invention relates to front axles for motor vehicles, and has for its object to provide an which is strong ch61 dumhle, light in, weight, and for less expen to produce than the present forged steel frontexles.

The above nnl other objects are accomplished by a sheet motel exile stamped from e black of sheet metal and provided with integral cross piece 21ml sockets for the knuckle spincllcs.

- "With this construction ll em enabled. to

save deal 0; machining which is neoe u y with the forged fil'llS, and require 4 less metal, anal at the time piece, my imprcvecl axle is able to resist sending and torsional entl other stresses as c 'ecti cl as the forged steel axles.

h lv invention me? he further bi'iefi sumtails of construccion eml combiiletions of parts arrangement of parts which will he described in the specification and set iii appended claims. 1 the accompanying sheet of drawings, 1 is sicie View of 2; front axle "0;; my invention, the middle por- I oi the being broken away; Fig. 2 e sectional View substantially along the i1.- Q Q of 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan 16;! of axle; Fig, 4 s a bottom view Q h slight morlificetion.

The axle, as eforesteted, is formed from eet met-cl, tin-l the principal portion of the is iiiclucling the cross piece or axle proper cl the o ,'"'in8.iicel shaped sockets or beerihg members for the knuckle spindles are foimed from one integral ancl continuous piece, to form which employ a plurality of glitlerent (lies which in successive opeeetions gradually convert a flat blankspindles for the front Wheels of the v A pr erl; shoeing the axle-proper or cross- 6 same Fig, 5 is :1 View partly in side 111g portions which are secured o into the shape to" he suhseeue tly clescrihe l. The axle proper, or cross "cieee, which is shown at 10, is lriollow and." is preferably rectangular in cross section, shown in Fig. 2. section here she's-vi"; substantially that of an inverted l! with the edge portions 11 of the strip to in toward each other,'fo1*n1ing e narrow slot clone; the lower side of the ex le The cross sectional shape of t is part of the z e can he veriecl somewhat from the shape shown, especially as to the width of the t between the interned 7 At the ends of the axle 0350 96- piece 10, there are l these sockets or hearing members he the Whole cyliiid. "cl in shape. this case these socket polices 12 e ml upwardly from the lower edge of the mic, the bottom of the socket poition l2 heing' suhstanticll f flush with lower surface of the cross piece 10, Ahis he also varied somewhat": by having the socket members extend both above ancl below the mile or cross piece. The rectangular shaped cross piece merges gradually into the cylindrical socket portions 12, the uge oer part of the connecting portion being concave or gradually increasmg in vertical depth, as shown at 13. v- The sidewalls of the isi'erg'ing portion continue in parallelism sobstact to the point Where they join cylindrical socket or hearing members 12, poi-ts hoieg merged along line imliect'etl at 14%. This forms a construction wherein the top portion of socketor heating her 12 is cylindrical, and wherein. the cuterv lower portion constitutes a sort of n o m dei",the lQVv'E? part of the JilClflCll socket or recess opyosite the cross piece It being i open, inasmuch as it memes into the rectangular shopeel opening" extending through the cross piece.

To progiei'ly support the lnmcl-zle spindles at the inner sides, I provic euzil'eipy heating members which suhstsntially llshapccl as shown in the tlrcwings, these members having parallel ears O1 in .verdly extemlrivets 18 to the flat parallel Walls of the end portions of the cross piece, or Wortls, the portionso'f the e'xlejmemhei" which the rectangular shape is mergezi into the cylinin addition, these members drical, shape.

- solely by dies or by tion 17, the inner surface of which constitutes a continuation of the inner cylindrical surface of the socket member 12. T his forms a substantially complete cylindrical hearing from the top of the member 12 to the bottom thereof.

The break between the upper cylindrical portion and the cylindrical shaped bearing provided by the member 15 is of no conse quence for the reason that there IS'PIOVldQd on the interior of the socket a sleeve 18,

which constitutes the actual or direct hear- .ing for the knuckle spindle 19, as shown in Fig. 5. In this figure the knuckle which is designated as a whole by the reference character 20 is provided with the usual outwardly projecting wheel spindle 21 on which is rotatably supported the wheel 22, In this figure last referred to l have shown the manner in which the front spring 23 may be clamped by upper and lower clamping memhere 24 and 25 and U-shaped bolt 26 to the rectangular shaped cross piece or axle proper. It may be mentioned at this pointthat the holes for the bolts 26, as well as all other holes, such as are required for the rivets 16, will be punched during the first blanking operation.

The outer portion of the cylindrical bearing'or socket member 12 may be continuous or these portions may be formed from wings or extensions of the metal blank and united on the center line by welding, as indicated at 27 in Fig. 6. Although the cylindrical socket members 12 are formed from exten sions which are united as at 27, it will be understood that t. e entire axle with the c ception of the auxiliary bearing members 15 are still formed from one continuous or integral piece of sheet metal.

In forming this axle, there is practically no machining required Whatever, the major portion of the axle including the cross piece and the socket members 12 being formed a stamping or pressing process. Additionally, there is efi'ected a considerable saving of metal, the construction is light in weight, and because of the shape of the-cross piece or axle proper, and because the parts are of one integral construction, the axle is strong and able to Withstand successfully all the stresses to which the front axle is subjected.

1 do not desire to be confined to the exact details or configuration herein shown, but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A front axle member for vehicles formed in one piece from sheet metal and comprising a hollow cross-piece Or axle proper and integral hollow bearing members at substantially right angles to the cross-piece, and each being in part cylindrical in shape and gradually merging into the cross-piece, each bearing member being formed with. a space or passageway for a spindle continuous'with the hollow space or passageway in the crosspiece. I

:2. A front axle for vehicles comprising a one piece axle member formed from sheet metal and composed of a hollow cross-piece or axleproper and integral hollow bearing membe s at substantially right angles to the cross-piece, a portion of the wall of each of said bearing members being substantially cylindrical in shape, and a portion being merged into the cross-piece, and auxiliary bearing pieces adjacent the bearing members oppositefthe points Where the passageway through the axle proper merges with the spaces or passageways extending through the hollow bearing member".

3. A front axle comprising an axle mere ber formed from sheet metal and composed of a hollow cross piece or axle proper and integral hollow bearing members at' right angles to the cross piece, a portion of the wall of each of said bearing members being cylindrical in shape and a portion being merged into the cross'piece and auxiliary bearing pieces secured between the Walls of the cross piece adjacent the bearing members and adapted to support the spindles opposite the opening in the cross piece.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. HARPER.

Witnesses:

A. F. Kwrs, C. V. Scanners. 

